The Vicar

Welcome to the website of St Peter’s Church in Redcar. We hope that you will discover all you need to know from the information here but the best way to get to know a church is by visiting. Whether you choose to pop in one lunchtime for a time of quiet and to light a candle; or if you would like to come along to one of the services, please be assured that there will be a warm welcome awaiting you.

I believe that as Christians we need lots of opportunity to join together to worship God, explore the bible and learn about our faith whilst sharing in social activities, providing a place to build relationships and friendships. This is what church is for and throughout a year St Peter’s offers all of those opportunities.

We also take very seriously our commitment to care for the community and the wider world. Locally we support the Churches Together Foodbank and there are regular events to raise money for charity.

You are welcome to come along at any time.

Rachel

VICAR'S LETTER FOR APRIL

Dear Friends

Once again we have arrived at that strange time of waiting that comes between Easter and Pentecost, the time of waiting for the commemoration of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the promised comforter. Before Jesus left this earth he promised his disciples that the comforter would come to be with them so that they would never be alone. We can’t really imagine just how that time of waiting was for those men and women because they didn’t know the next part of the story as we do. They just knew how it felt to see their Lord crucified, mysteriously come back from the grave and now they were waiting. We wait and prepare to celebrate at Pentecost; they waited, not knowing what for. They did not have the benefit of hindsight but simply held to the promise of Jesus that they would not be forgotten.

Waiting can involve many emotions. Excitement, fear, concern, happiness, contentment, anxiety can all be experienced and when the anticipated event arrives – wow!—a whole new explosion of emotions will flood in. This is exactly what happened to the friends of Jesus on that first Pentecost. The day when the Holy Spirit surged into their lives like flames and wind and empowered them. As we read in Acts Chapter 2 verses 2-4;

‘Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitating. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.’

The disciples may not have known just what they were waiting for but my goodness they knew when it had arrived. Their lives were changed and they had a boldness to take forward the work that Jesus had entrusted to them.

They became the first church, the foundations on which we still learn and grow and reach out in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The waiting had all been worthwhile.

May God richly bless you this Pentecost and empower you to go on in His name